Tom is an associate in Shoosmiths’ planning team, based in London. He joined the firm in 2025, bringing with him extensive experience from previous roles at national law firms. Tom advises on all aspects of planning, compulsory purchase, and highways law, acting for a broad range of public and private sector clients including local authorities, housebuilders, landowners, and registered providers.

His practice spans both contentious and non-contentious matters, including drafting and negotiating section 106 agreements, advising on planning conditions, enforcement, stopping up orders, and town and village green issues.

Tom has particular experience supporting clients in the major housebuilder and affordable housing sector. This includes work for large housebuilders as well as other large registered providers of affordable housing including advice on the planning implications of grant funding and regulatory requirements. He also played a key role in the government’s First Homes pilot, helping a national housebuilder develop a section 106 template that was later adopted by Homes England as part of national policy. Tom has advised on a wide range of affordable housing tenures, including traditional affordable housing, co-living schemes, Build to Rent developments, and senior living projects.

Tom regularly advises on the planning aspects of real estate finance and large-scale lending transactions, including major industrial sites, student accommodation developments, and retail parks. He has provided due diligence on corporate acquisitions involving substantial property portfolios and has advised on the planning implications of build-to-rent and co-living schemes. His experience also includes advising on the acquisition of solar farms and land intended for data centre development. He has also advised on high profile nationally significant infrastructure projects subject to Secretary of State call-in.

Tom has acted as legal advisor to local planning authorities at Development Management Committee meetings and on Electricity Act notifications, and has supported numerous CPO and compensation matters across England.